Tomato Tomatoe

zucchini carbonara

I saw a recipe on social media that combined Nerano pasta and carbonara. I thought to myself that this was an amazing idea and I decided to give it a try. I didn’t follow a recipe and made this pasta up as I went. That’s what I love about cooking, you don’t always need a recipe and you should open yourself up to experimentation when the mood strikes. Sometimes these things work and sometimes they’re a big fail but that’s how you learn. Luckily, this pasta was a huge success! Spaghetti alla Nerano is one of my favourite pastas of all time. I tried it for the first time in the Amalfi Coast and I’ve been making it ever since. It’s especially great to make it during the summer months when zucchini’s are in their prime.

Combining the Nerano with carbonara makes it ultra creamy. In all honesty you probably don’t really even need to add the egg yolks but this was all about experimentation. I find that Nerano is already very creamy given the fact that it requires pasta water and cheese. This creates a luscious and creamy sauce. The egg yolks add an extra layer of richness. You can definitely add them in or opt to leave them aside. Either way this pasta is a winner and a perfect recipe to make during zucchini season!

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zucchini carbonara

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup guanciale, sliced into matchsticks
• 1 quart small zucchini or 3 medium sized zucchini
• zucchini blossoms (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot
• Handful fresh basil
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup pecorino
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 1/2 cups pasta water

Directions

1. Slice the zucchini into 1/4 inch rounds. Set aside. Crush the garlic and dice the shallot. Set aside.
2. Slice the guanciale into matchstick pieces. Add the guanciale to a cold Dutch oven. Heat the pan to medium low heat. Render the guanciale until crisp. Remove and set aside.
3. Pour the guanciale fat into a bowl and wipe out any black bits that may be at the bottom of the pan. Add a few drizzles of olive oil. Heat the pan to medium heat and add a 1/4 of the zucchini and zucchini blossoms to the pan. Fry until golden. These will be used for garnish. Remove and set aside.
4. Add the remaining zucchini and onions. Sautee until they soften and develop some colour. Add the garlic halfway through cooking. Once everything has soften, blend the zucchini until smooth.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than what the package says. Remove 2 cups of pasta water and set aside.
6. In a medium sized bowl add the egg yolks, a few drizzles of guanciale oil, pecorino and half of the Parmigiano Reggiano. Whisk together and slowly add in a few drops of the pasta water. Add in a few more splashes of water until the sauce is smooth and has loosened slightly.
7. Add the pasta directly to the pan that the zucchini puree is in. Add some pasta water and stir. Off the heat pour in the egg and cheese mixture. Stir until the sauce is creamy. Add more pasta water if needed.
8. Top with remaining Parmigiano Reggiano, zucchini and guanciale.